‘I have a dream’ boy worried about fees

Education

Like every other boy, Malinsion David, too, has a dream.
But his wish of becoming a doctor has one major stumbling block: School fees.
David is in grade 10 at Waghi Valley Secondary School in Jiwaka.
He lives with his parents at the Bunum Wo coffee plantation where they scrape a living working as labourers and earning K196 a fortnight.
Of that amount, his parents give him K50 for his basic needs.
“I want to be in class. I want to pursue my dream of becoming a medical doctor one day,” David said.
“The problem now is school fees.
“How can my parents afford to get me to complete my education when they don’t have any means to raise money?
“They are only plantation workers.
“I have seen my elder brothers and sisters drop out of school just because of fees problems.
“I do not want to be like them.”
He is thankful that the Papua New Guinea Agricultural Sector Labourers’ Association (PNGASLA) has been formed to represent people like his parents.
And to help, he wants to see the Government continue with its tuition fee-free education so that poor young people like him can at least have a chance.
The young man from Kagua spent the school holiday working in the plantation to help his parents with his school costs.